


Wild Soul

by eatsdeath



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Voldemort Wins, Dark wins AU, Dark!Harry, F/F, F/M, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Minister for Magic Tom Riddle, Pre-Hogwarts, Slow Burn, child fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 16:08:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21820978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eatsdeath/pseuds/eatsdeath
Summary: Left at an orphanage hours after he was born, Harry spends the first years of his life unwanted by everyone around him. In the magical world, Sybill Trelawney is dead. There is no prophecy. There is only war and the Dark has won.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Tom Riddle | Voldemort, Lucius Malfoy/Narcissa Black Malfoy, Regulus Black/Severus Snape, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 25
Kudos: 304





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is still a WIP and I still have a lot of world building to do.
> 
> Tags will be updated as we go.
> 
> Come find me on tumblr @ eatsdeath!!

> **JUST BEFORE DAWN - 1 AUGUST 1980**

The silence that rests over the London streets is heavy and tense, a coiled spring that waits to be sprung and there is an anticipation in the air that can’t be placed. The whole of everything, magical and muggle alike, is waiting, waiting.

The silence builds, unnatural and still until, with a sigh, it eases. The crickets and cicadas start their songs; restless sleep settles, deepens and the witch watches what she has done. The magic she’s worked over the hours old infant take hold; his high cheekbones and aquiline nose soften, his alabaster skin darkens to a tan, pitch dark hair lightens to soft brunette and emerald green eyes that match hers perfectly mottle to an unmemorable muddy brown. Her son, the child she shouldn’t have had, the child she couldn’t keep, the child she couldn’t name. The son that wasn’t her husband’s.

The glamours stabilize and the baby looks up at her without crying. He hadn’t cried but once in the last few hours, just had stared at her since she’d started disguising his features. Ancient pureblood features that would look close enough to her husband’s to match but weren’t. She could have kept him, passed him off as her husband’s. But she hadn’t told him. Hadn’t told him that her betrayal had lasting consequences nor had she told the infant’s father. The witch had kept the pregnancy to herself, glamours and spells to hide the effects and her bump. She knew she would never forgive herself for bringing him into the world not with the war waging over them. But she hadn’t been able to make herself kill him, either. Her son. This was better. He would live and he would grow and he would be safe.

But he had to be ordinary, unremarkable in every way. The only way to keep him safe from the wizarding world was to make sure he never entered it and the only way to ensure that was to bind his magic. Binding a wizard’s magic was extremely dangerous, especially a child’s. You could never be sure what would happen -- Magic doesn’t like to be controlled. It is a gift, a blessing; it doesn’t bow to wizards. She was doing what she had to do. For herself, for her husband, for her son. For the Greater Good.

“Please,” she whispered. “Please let me keep him safe.” Magic built in the air as the witch did one last ritual - ancient Blood Magic, illegal and uncontrollable. The pressure builds and builds until with an almost audible ‘pop’ it disappears as fast as it came on. Her son’s magic sealed away with five drops of her blood ensuring that only she would be able to release it.

She heaved a sigh of relief as she picked up her still silent baby. She was exhausted: physically, mentally, emotionally, magically. But she had done everything in her power to protect her son. No one would know he existed and he would be safe from the war that plagued her world. A world he would never be a part of. There was just one more thing she had to do and she disappeared with a ‘pop’.

Lily Potter reappeared in the south of London, hours away and across the street from the orphanage that would be her son’s home. At least, for a while. She knew someone would adopt him, take him in. Infants always found a home. He would be loved, raised in a home that wouldn’t know of her world or of the threat that hung over their heads.

In the first rays of dawn, she crosses to the orphanage doors and places her bundled infant on the front step. Her breath hitches, her composed façade cracking for the first time as she looks down at her son. Lily's hand trembles, reaching for the doorbell without taking her eyes from her son. She backs down the stairs and apparates back across the street before the door opens. It's only once the matron has looked back and forth down the street before picking up the silent baby and going back into the building does Lily let the tears run down her face with a gasp.

"I'm sorry. You'll forgive me one day. I did what I had to. I had to." She nods to herself, taking a deep breath and apparating back home to James.

* * *

> **AROUND NOON - 31 OCTOBER 1981**

Defeating the Light, in the end, is easier than the Dark Lord had even considered. Amongst all the turmoil and fear of Him and His followers, His reign, they had infiltrated the Ministry. And it had been done in completely legal standard. At 12:30pm on the 11th of December 1980, Tom Riddle succeeded Harold Minchum as Minister for Magic and the war that would eclipse the war with Grindelwald ended. Not with a bang but with a whimper.

Tom Riddle, who his classmates and professors remembered from Hogwarts - Prefect, Head Boy, top of his class and charming without seeming insincere - had been the dark horse in the race. With a war going on, it didn’t seem to be the best time to hold an election but, alas! Traditions must. Tom Riddle, who had worked for Burgin & Burke after Hogwarts (a _glowing_ recommendation), who had done work in Albania, ex-Headmaster Dippet sang his praises. Tom Riddle, who only Albus Dumbledore had anything bad to say about.

Of course, the majority of the Wizarding world only knew that the deaths and people going missing stopped going into the new year. Wizards waited on pins and needles for something, anything to happen. Headmaster Dumbledore, defeater of Grindelwald, believed the war wasn’t over and most of the population believed him. For a little while.

* * *

> ** 1981 Forward **

Once the New Year came, once January turned to February turned to March…the Wizarding World breathed a sigh of relief. The more Albus Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix tried to convince them that they were still in danger, the more the majority of the population pushed back and shunned them. After months of peace, no one wanted to believe that they were in danger. Surely, things would be happening if they were in danger, if the Dark Lord Voldemort were still a threat.

Suspicion and doubt drive the werewolf Remus Lupin from Dumbledore’s flock. A falling out with Potter and doubt in his Light loyalty make Sirius Black all but withdraw from the public. Peter Pettigrew, loyal to the Dark, stops pretending. The famed Marauders of Hogwarts no more.

At the end of that school year, the Hogwarts Board of Governors calls for Dumbledore's removal as Headmaster. Shifting seats in the Wizengamot take from him his position as Chief Warlock. The International Confederation of Wizards' Conference meets in the summer of 1982. A new Supreme Mugwump is elected and the Ministry revokes Albus' seat on the Confederation of Wizards.  By the end of the year, Albus Dumbledore has no direct political power. Yes, many wizards still hang on every word he says. Yes, he is still powerful in his own right. But, the world is changing in the aftermath of the war that ended suddenly and more and more people are noticing that Albus is not. 

Muggle raised Wizards are found at the first sign of accidental magic. They are raised with understanding and knowledge of magic and, if necessary, they are taken from families that _don't_ react well then are placed with a magical family. The New World is more tolerant to everyone - human and non-human, muggle born and pure blood. Britain's Magical World doesn't feel threatened and is flourishing.

* * *

> ** September 1986 **

The report had been made when the Matron of White Warden Cottage Homes in London had found the boy as an infant on the steps of the porter's lodge five years earlier. An abandoned child but nothing was found. So the baby stayed at the homes. The Matron and her husband named the child and placed him in one of the six cottages on the grounds. Each cottage housed 10-15 children as well as a rotating staff member.

She knew Harrison never fit in, had kept an extra eye on the boy who'd been left on their doorstep. He was quiet and picked on; the older children knowing he'd been left there only hours old - unwanted. But the six year old was normal. Nothing strange happened, nothing odd. Nothing until now.

Now, one of the cottages burns. Now, the still quiet Harrison glares down the older boys who'd pushed him and they scream when their clothes catch flame. The sky darkens, thunder rumbles and as they fight to put the fires out, the boy sits where he fell and stares at them all.

"Freak."

"Devil."

As the cottage burns, the matron's husband grabs Harrison by the arm and hauls him off the ground. "What did you do?" He shakes the still silent boy. "Huh? What did you do?"

The clearing of a throat gains their attention and matron and husband turn to the icy blonde woman and the nervous looking man beside her. His tongue flicked out, licking the corner of his lips as he takes in the fire that still burns with a smile.

An hour later, Narcissa Malfoy and Barty Crouch leave White Warden Cottage Homes with a curious Harrison tucked between them. The woman takes his hand, pats it gently and, with a small pop, the trio disapparates away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry this took so long!! Honestly, I'm not happy with it. It's weird but oh well. The beginning of this year was crazy and then COVID and quarantine and THEN I had work because I was "essential." Ugh, now I'm working a different job and doing online classes so that's a whole different experience but here's the next chapter for you guys. Hopefully, it won't take me 9 months to update again!
> 
> I plan on updating my fics every 2 weeks - this one on Wednesdays. so after this chapter, the next one will come on November 25th!

Harrison feels his insides lurch as they hit the ground, popped out of the end of a small tube. He stares at the ground, trying not to throw up but bile builds in the back of his throat as the world tilts worryingly around him.

“Breathe, little one. It’ll help. Apparition is awful until you’ve done it under your own power.”

Right, the nice blonde lady. The one who apparently was taking him away from the orphanage. He tries to breathe as she rubs his back but he can’t stop himself from collapsing onto his bottom on the cold marble floor. That helps more than he’d expected. The cold and the lady’s hand push down the nausea until he can actually pick his head up to look around. Harrison first glances at the lady: tall, blonde, elegant and yet, she’s crouched down beside him with a sincere look of motherly concern in clear blue-grey eyes. The man who’d come with her is bouncing on the balls of his feet, eyes flicking around the room and he has a stick held loosely in his right hand. As Harrison watches him, his tongue darts out to wet the corner of his lips even as he looks down at the boy and flashes him a wide, crooked smile.

There are people milling about all around them but most seem to be ignoring all three of them, barely glancing at Harrison seated on the ground. On the far side of the hall, lines of podiums stand and at each podium is seated a creature that Harrison has never seen before. The boy stares wide-eyed around the room — tall arching ceiling, marble floor reaching into the far depths of the room. It’s fancy and elaborate in decoration and it all screams money. To a boy who has never had anything, it is more than overwhelmed. 

“Feel better?” Harrison blinks as the lady’s voice breaks through his staring and he looks at her and the kind smile on her face. He nods slowly, biting his lip as her smile widens more. “Okay, let’s get you on your feet then. Come on.” She carefully hauls him up by the elbow and leads him to one of the podiums, the man trailing ever so slightly behind them.

They stop in front of one of the podiums and the lady looks at the creature until he looks up at her. 

“Sir Goblin, Narcissa Malfoy to see the Goblin Ragnok.

The goblin’s eyes travel from Narcissa to Harrison and back before he nods and gestures them off towards the offices,

“Ragnok will see you.”

Narcissa nods her head respectfully before guiding Harrison in the direction indicated and all three of them are ushered into an office. He sits silently in the center chair across the desk between Narcissa and the man who is still quiet as a goblin, presumably the Goblin Ragnok, settles in the chair behind the desk.  
“Greetings, Ragnok. May your gold ever flow and your coffers never empty.”

Ragnok gives her a terrifying grin, “May your enemies tremble at your feet, Lady Malfoy. What can Gringotts do for you today?”

* * *

Narcissa looks at the quiet boy beside her before fixing a serious gaze on the goblin. 

“Ragnok, I am here on behalf of the DCSMD today regarding Harrison,” she gestures to the small boy beside her. “He needs to have an Inheritance test done so that we can, hopefully, place him with family.”

Harrison’s head shoots up she notices out of the corner of her eye and she wonders what the orphan boy thinks of that — a family of his own. Now is not the time to ask him, though, so she keeps her gaze on the goblin even as he turns to look at the boy. Narcissa knows, of course, what he sees — a plain boy with no distinguishing pureblooded features. A muggleborn boy born from a cast out Squib line. 

“Very well.” Ragnok pulls a piece of parchment, a vial of liquid, a stone bowl and a small knife from a drawer in his desk. He hands the knife to Narcissa, handle first, and then offers her the vial. “Seven drops, Lady Malfoy. No more, no less of the boy’s blood.” 

Narcissa nods before standing out of her chair to crouch in front of Harrison who looks at her with inquisitive hazel eyes. “Okay, Harrison. This test is going to show which magical family lines you are apart of. This-” A small, quiet voice interrupts her and she can’t even feel upset because it is the first time the boy has spoken since they picked him up.

“Magic isn’t real.”

“Did the matron tell you that?”

He nods.

“Why did she tell you that?”

Harrison looks at her, head tilted adorably to the side. “My hair grew all back overnight. One of the older boys got guck in it so she cut it all off and I hated it. When I woke up, it was all grown back.”

Narcissa smiles at him. “That was magic, Harrison. And the fire today? Did those boys make you angry or scared?” He narrows his eyes and nods slowly. “Accidental magic. That’s how we found you so we can find your magical family. Family is special to us.”

“Then why did they leave me there? I was just a baby when the matron found me. If family is so special to you, why didn’t they want me?”

She can feel her heart break for him and she wants to gather him into a tight hug but the look on the boy’s face tells her that wouldn’t go over well. And, knowing what she does of his upbringing from the matron, Narcissa can hardly blame him for thinking what he does.

“Your magical family does want you. Your mom and dad may not have magic but you do have a family that is magical, like you, and they do want you, Harrison, okay? So let’s find out who they are, alright?”

Harrison nods hesitantly and Narcissa gently takes his hand before the boy changes his mind. She pricks the end of his finger with the knife, lets seven — exactly seven — drops of his blood fall into the vial before she heals it with a wave of her wand. He hadn't flinched at the prick of the knife but he brings his finger to his mouth and sucks comfortingly on the small sting. 

She turns back to Ragnok and empties the small vial of blood into the potion held within the stone bowl.

Harrison watches with wide eyes as the goblin stirs the potion with one long finger, a slow golden glow building in the liquid. When he almost can’t look at the brightness any longer, Ragnok picks up the bowl and pours the glowing potion over the parchment splayed across his desk. 

There’s a moment when nothing happens and Harrison can’t help the stab of —disappointment, that there’s no family for him? satisfaction that he was right: magic can’t be real? — then dark, spidery lines swarm across the parchment and he watches in fascination as names fill in, information about him. About his _family_.

Narcissa watches as the parchment fills with more than she’d thought it would. She had expected the boy’s name, his parents’ names and a tracking of which magical lines he came from. A simple list of who to contact to find Harrison a home and a family. Instead, she’s faced with all that and more. A blood glamor? Magic bindings? She scans down the parchment as it fills in before she even looks at his parents and family lines and she can’t stop the catch in her breath at what she finds.

HERITAGE EXAM:

NAME: Harrison White

BORN: 31 July 1980

PARENTS: 

Sirius Orion Black  
Lily Renée Potter née Evans

TITLES:

Black (paternal)  
Ravenclaw (maternal)  
Peverell (maternal)

MAGICAL INHIBITIONS AND BLOCKS:

Magical Core Suppression— **partially broken** — 85% lasting block— Lily Potter  
Full Blood Glamor — Lily Potter

Her cousin’s son. Narcissa feels rage build in her. Why would any witch, let alone _a mother_ , dare to bind a child’s magic? 85% _still_ blocked? How much had the mudblood blocked within Harrison? 90%? All of it? Had Narcissa known Evans was pregnant? July 1980 was just before the end of the war. Had Evans known the child wasn’t her husband’s? Is that why she’d hidden the pregnancy and him? She takes a deep breath, unclenches her fingers and straightens her spine to look the goblin in the eyes. 

“Goblin Ragnok, I will need a copy of his Heritage sealed and sent to my vault as well as a copy to take with me immediately.”

The goblin nods and it’s done; the parchment duplicated. One is sealed and whisked away by another goblin summoned with the bell on Ragnok’s desk. The other is folded and sealed with wax and handed to Narcissa who accepts it with a nod of her head.

“Thank you, Goblin Ragnok. May your gold ever flow and your coffers never empty.”

She stands and ushers Harrison up, pulling the young boy up to perch on her hip with only a bit of resistance from the child as Ragnok stands to dismiss them, “May your enemies tremble at your feet, Lady Malfoy.” Strange beady eyes focus on Harrison who warily watches him back. “Heir Black.”

“G’bye, Ragnk.”

Harrison watches the Goblin over Narcissa’s shoulder as she carries him out of the bank with the other man hot on her heels. His eyes travel over the man who just grins back at him, tongue flicking out of the corner of his mouth and he keeps one hand tucked up his long sleeve. He notices Harrison watching him as they step out into Diagon Alley and he grins.

“Name’s Barty, kiddo. To the Ministry then, Narcissa?”

The woman nods and tightens her grasp on Harrison before the icky feeling of being pulled through a space too small to fit once again washes over him and the alley around them disappears. 

Landing back in the world is almost worse the second time than it had been the first. The swirling feeling in his tummy is awful but he’s being held gently for the first time he can remember. The matron wasn’t a nice or gentle woman and her husband was worse. The nurses who took care of the youngest children were kind but overworked and miserable. But now Narcissa rubs his back gently as they make their way across a marble room. 

Harrison’s eyes are wide as he takes in all the people milling about and Barty stays close to Narcissa as they approach a golden elevator. He buries his face in the woman’s neck and tries to think about what’s happening. Things had shown up on the weird paper. He has _family_ here. Somewhere. Magic is real and he’ll get a family and the kind lady smells nice. It’s too much for one little six year old brain to wrap around and Harrison is lulled to sleep as they make their way through the Ministry to the DCSMD.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter - done! Here we go!
> 
> I want to thank all of you guys for your wonderful comments! I'm so glad that you're enjoying the story and I hope you keep doing so.
> 
> I plan on updating my fics every 2 weeks - this one on Wednesdays. so after this chapter the next one will come on December 9th!

Narcissa feels the young boy drift to sleep in her arms and looks over her shoulder at Barty, who cocks his head.

“Your cousin’s son, huh? That’s…definitely interesting. What are you going to do?”

Sirius Black had always been a hothead even in school. He was the _white sheep_ of the Black family and a Gryffindor to boot. His decision to pass the Black Lordship to his younger brother had been the smartest he’d ever made. He’d rallied against everything the family stood for as a teenager and it had only been after his falling out with Potter that he’d become even slightly agreeable. 

“Oh, d’you think this is why he fell out with Potter? Sirius sleeping with his mudblood?”

Narcissa sighs, “I don’t know what to think, Barty. All I can think about is how that _witch_ could bind her own child’s magic. I’ve not even begun to wrap my mind around my own relation to Harrison let alone what happened between Sirius and his friends.”

Barty nods and they stop outside of the Department of Children Services - Muggleborn Division. Dilys Ackerley, Secretary to the Head of the Department, looked up at their entrance, a soft smile crossing her face at the sight of the boy asleep in Narcissa’s arms, before waving them on through.

“She was waiting for you to return, Lady Malfoy. Mr. Crouch.”

They brush past her with a nod, stepping through the door where Narcissa’s elder sister was waiting. Andromeda Black definitely took after the Black family in looks. Gorgeous as her younger sister and just as wicked as their elder sister, she’d been offered the chance to be brought back into the family after her husband’s death. A chance to raise her daughter properly. A chance she had taken easily as she had missed her sisters. Andromeda had yet to remarry and their cousin, the Lord Black, wasn’t pressuring her as long as her daughter was a student at Hogwarts. 

“Cissa, Mr. Crouch,” she greets them standing and watches her sister gently place the sleeping boy on the couch in the office. “So, who’s this then?”

Barty chokes down a cackle and lounges on the couch next to the sleeping Harrison. He knows better than to be in wand range when the Black’s got together. The sister’s sit at the desk and Narcissa launches into the tale.

“His name is Harrison White. Born the 31st of July 1980 and _raised,_ ” the word is spat out like she doesn’t believe he had ever been cared for in his life. “at the White Warden Cottage Homes in London.”

“An orphan. That was the end of the war; were his parents casualties?”

Narcissa shakes her head and sighs heavily.

“Both parents are still living and both are magical.”

Andromeda looks startled.

“But that’s—”

“Almost unheard of. Yes, Andy, I know.” She sighs again. “There’s more.”

“As if abandoning a magical child in the muggle world isn’t enough. What else is there?”

“He’s Sirius’ son.”

There’s a long, silent pause.

“What.” Andy’s voice isn’t loud; it’s soft and menacing and Barty winces on the couch. 

“He’s Sirius’ son and that _bitch_ of a mudblood **whore** who bore him blocked his magic.”

Another pause. Barty cards his fingers through the boy’s hair and Harrison murmurs sleepily. He gets the feeling that he’s going to be in the middle of a Black family reunion soon. Bastard born or not, muggle raised or not, the boy is still a Black. And a possible Black heir as well, depending on when Sirius passed on the Lordship and what Regulus decides to do with the boy. 

“She what?” Now, now Andy’s voice is loud and Barty rubs Harrison’s back when he winces. The boy rolls over and looks up at him with wide brown eyes that are flecked with green. Barty smiles at him which he hopes is reassuring and it widens when Harrison smiles back at him. He’ll be fine. Wherever he ends up, Barty knows he’ll be fine. It’s just a gut feeling and Barty’s gut is never wrong.

“Andy,” Narcissa sighs, again. “Let’s just call Regulus here and maybe Sirius. I can’t imagine he knew Evans was pregnant. We need to talk to our cousins.”

“Yes, yes. You’re right. Wait, Evans? As in James Potter’s wife?”

“Andy.”

Andromeda waves at hand at her sister as she quickly jots down two notes. One she sends off as an inter-Ministry memo— the small bird fluttering off down the hall to Regulus. The other is handed to the house elf that appears when Andy snaps her fingers. 

“Deliver this to my cousin immediately and tell him it’s urgent.”

The elf disappears with a low bow and a ‘pop’ and Andy turns back to her sister with a sigh.

“Now we wait, I suppose.”

* * *

It takes less time than they had expected for their cousins to show up. Regulus had arrived first but this was expected as he’d only come from the Department of Mysteries where he’s employed as an Unspeakable. Sirius had come from his cottage in the moors of Scotland where he lived alone and was generally secluded from Wizarding society. Both of the men had greeted the ladies with only the slightest glance towards Barty and the small child. Once they were seated, Regulus turned to Andromeda.

“Andy, it is rare for you to summon anyone to your office. Family Connections generally occur at Gringotts, I thought.”

Sirius barks a small laugh.

“Why would we be here for a Family Connection, Reg? Can’t our cousin simply miss us?”

Andy skillfully ignores him and Narcissa shakes her head at her sister. She should have told both of their cousins they were there for a Family Connection. Springing this on Sirius like this will likely end worse than she could have imagined. Some forwarding would have been better but it is Andromeda’s job and all consequences will fall on her shoulders. However, if it hurts Harrison, Andy will feel Narcissa’s wrath. 

“They typically do but, as this is my family that I’m making a Family Connection for, I made the executive decision to do so here. If neither of you are interested, I will contact Bellatrix as she is the eldest Black daughter.”

Silence again fills the office and Barty stifles a snigger. The perplexed look on the Lord Black’s face is something he would likely never _ever_ see again. He shrinks back against the couch, petting Harrison’s hair as Narcissa pins him in place with a fierce glare. 

“A Black Family Connection? Who—?” Sirius freezes at the look in Andy’s eyes when she fixes her gaze on him. “Me?” He shakes his head, slowly. “What?”

“What caused your falling out with James Potter and your little gang?”

His silver-gray eyes are wide and slightly panicked at Andy’s words and Regulus turns to his brother, concerned.

“Siri?”

“I-” He groans and buries his face in his hands. “She got pregnant?”

“ _Siri_?”

“It was once. It was a _mistake_ and it shouldn’t have happened.”

Regulus sighs and crouches in front of his older brother, pulls his hands away from his face. “Who, Sirius?”

His eyes are sad and he shakes his head, his voice no more than a whisper.

“Lily. My fucking best friend’s wife had _my_ child. And no one knew? No one knew she was pregnant, right? I don’t remember her being pregnant at all.”

Regulus cannot believe what he’s hearing but neither Andy nor Narcissa look surprised at Sirius’ confession so they had to have known. He looks at the boy who’s head is in his best friend’s lap and is staring back at him. 

“He doesn’t have the Black eyes.”

Sirius follows his eye line and _really_ looks at his son for the first time. 

“He doesn’t look like me and he doesn’t look like Lily either?” 

Narcissa nods.

“She put a blood glamor on him.” She shares a glance with her sister before continuing. “And she bound his magic.”

Both of the Black males look at her in horror. Regulus’ breath escaping him in a hiss that Sirius echoes with a hoarse whisper, “She what?” Regulus shakes his head. “That’s beyond illegal. It’s—despicable. What was she thinking? He could have _died_.”

Andy nods. “That’s part of the reason we’re doing it here and I called you. Can you reverse them? The glamor and the binding?’

“Harrison has already broken it some. His magic is 85% _still_ blocked; the block is partially broken according to his Heritage test.” 

“Merlin.” Regulus can’t stop Sirius from burying his face back in his hands but he stands and goes to kneel beside the couch. He offers the boy a warm smile, looking up at Barty with a twinkle in his eye.

“‘lo, Barty.” He receives a nod before looking back at his nephew. Merlin, his nephew. “Hello, Harrison. I know there’s a lot going on today but—do you mind if I take a look at you and your magic?”

The boy’s fingers aren’t in his mouth but it’s a close thing, curled up near his jaw as he stares at Regulus. Harrison gives him a small nod which widens Regulus’ smile. “Ok, little one. You can stay right where you’re at, alright? It might tingle a bit but I promise I won’t hurt you.”

He draws his wand which Harrison follows with wide eyes and waves it over the boy. Regulus doesn’t cast a spell; he just lets his magic pool off of him and wrap around Harrison’s, feeling the binding Lily put on it and finding the grips of the blood glamor. Both are tight, steady but he’s almost sure that if he can pry the glamor off of the boy then the magical block will follow naturally. 

Regulus lets his magic pull back just enough so he can focus on Harrison again. “Narcissa took your blood earlier, didn’t she? At the bank?” He gets a hesitant nod in return. “Ok, little one. I’m going to need to do the same. Just a few drops and then you’ll be right as rain. Does that sound alright?”

Harrison watches him for a moment and Regulus can feel his brother and cousins holding their breath before the boy nods slowly, offering Regulus one of his small hands. Regulus smiles at him, whispering a small cutting spell. Blood pools on the tip of Harrison’s finger and the Unspeakable gathers it in his palm. He heals the small cut before dipping the tip of his wand in the blood, muttering under his breath. Blood Magic is no longer illegal as it had been under the Light’s control but it was rarely used as it could go horribly wrong. His magic reaches back out for his nephew, following the bonds of blood that could not be faked. He curls it around the edges of the glamor and tugs. There is just a moment of resistance before Regulus feels it give in—a surge of smugness that he could overturn what Evans’ had done. The glamor fades away but before Regulus can focus his eyes on the solid boy in front of him magic that is not his, that does not belong to his brother, cousins or Barty. flares—bright, powerful and Darker than he would have expected from the son of his brother and a Light witch. 

Regulus takes a deep breath, gently guiding the magic to curl around the small wizard who wields it. To not overflow and drain the boy, to not tear apart Andy’s office. He only hopes Harrison can control it without his help otherwise terrible things could and would happen.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter four - done! (Whoops, I posted the wrong fic. Ignore that for me.)
> 
> I plan on updating my fics every 2 weeks - this one on Wednesdays. So the next chapter will be up on December 23rd!

Sirius feels like he’s watching his brother and his — the child through water, especially when powerful Dark magic pours out of the boy. He doesn’t know why the boy is so Dark — yes, he himself is a Dark wizard, in core only. But Lily is a Light witch. And the boy, the boy is Darker than he is. Much Darker. As Dark as Regulus, as Dark as his cousins. He can’t believe Lily had gotten pregnant. They’d slept together _once_ , drunk, waiting for James to return from an Order mission. It had been a mistake and he’d regretted it immediately. James had never forgiven him and, last he’d seen them, it looked like he had only _barely_ forgiven Lily. Sirius doesn’t know how Lily hid her pregnancy for nine months — using magic to hide a pregnancy was dangerous in the later months, to both the bearer and the child. 

And to use Blood Magic to glamor the boy and bind his magic. What had she been thinking? Lily could have killed him. Maybe she meant to. But he knows that she meant for him to never find out about his son. Despite her blood, his child would be an Heir to the House of Black. _Toujours_ _Pur_ meant more than blood. Always Pure and Family Above All. Something he and Regulus had added after they’d hashed out most of their issues following the death of their mother 16 months earlier. _Famille Avant Tout._ Family Above All — above blood, above tradition, above belief. Their line had dwindled so far and they were all that was left. The brothers, their cousins, both Grandfathers, an aunt, uncle, great aunt*. The Last of the Blacks. 

Sirius has no plans to become a father. Narcissa has the six-year-old Draco but he will carry on the Malfoy line. Andromeda has a daughter — a half-blood daughter — and she hasn’t remarried since her husband’s death. Bellatrix is too busy working and assisting the Grand Minister to have children. Regulus and his husband have discussed children but have not yet taken steps to have or adopt any. Their Aunt Lucretia’s children (should she have any) would be Prewitt's. The rest of the family is too old to want to deal with raising more children. He knows one of them will take the boy in. A matter of family duty. But it wouldn’t be him. Sirius is still trying to deal with himself; there is no way he could raise a child.

* * *

Andy watches the emotions play on Sirius’ face. His years as a Gryffindor, hardheadedly rebelling against the Family Teachings had all but destroyed his Pureblood Mask. Her cousin is an open book and she knows he is reeling. Whatever affair he’d had with Potter’s wife, the one that resulted in Harrison’s birth, had clearly also been what caused the rift in that friendship. As far as she knows, he hasn’t spoken to Potter in over six years and had all but become a recluse. He lived off his Black allowance but he didn’t really have any friends. Peter Pettigrew went over occasionally but that relationship was strained by the knowledge that Peter had turned Dark before the end of the war.

Andromeda knows that even more than the loss of his friendship with James Potter, the loss of his friendship with Remus Lupin weighed on Sirius. He and James may have been brothers but Sirius and Remus had been Twin Flames. They had never gotten together romantically but they _could_ have done so; they completed each other. Remus had grounded Sirius and Sirius had emboldened Remus. They would have worked. Until they gave each other the chance to heal and come back together, she knew Sirius would never raise a child. Not by himself and only _maybe_ if he had Remus.

She could not take Harrison in either. She was widowed and has a thirteen-year-old. A six-year-old was too much at the moment, especially one as powerful as Harrison looks like he will turn out to be. Andromeda may be powerful but she would never be able to temper him. Bellatrix was too busy and Narcissa may. But that would depend upon Lucius and Andy wasn’t sure that Lucius would take in a child that was not his. As much as the man loves and dotes on Draco, the boy was his Heir, and he obviously did not like other children. 

Andromeda turns her eyes to Regulus, who is still knelt in front of Harrison and is guiding the boy's magic back into his body. He and Severus would be incredible parents for the child. She meets Narcissa’s eyes and knows her sister is thinking the exact same thing. If Severus can get past the boy being Sirius’, which should be easy if they Blood Adopt him, they would be a great fit. Dark, powerful, and devoted to each other and those they consider family. Harrison would never want for anything and would likely be spoiled rotten by Regulus with Severus to be the disciplinarian. They would fit and it would be good for all of them.

* * *

There’s something about Harrison’s magic that Regulus ponders even as he curls tendrils of his own around the boy’s, pressing the force of it back towards Harrison and allowing his body to recognize it as his own. One of the dangers of binding a growing child’s magic is that should it ever break that binding, the chances of it backlashing and killing its wielder were astronomically high because the magic would not recognize the wizard. Instead, it would burst free from its cage and destroy everything it touched. 

But Harrison’s magic, despite being wild and untamed, _recognized_ the boy. Even as Regulus guided it back to him, the dark silver tendrils reached for Harrison’s core. Like it wanted to settle back inside of him. Like it accepted him as able to control it. Magic wasn’t simply an inanimate force to be controlled; it acted with its own will. It chose who it served and Harrison’s magic _wanted_ him. 

Nonetheless, Regulus is sweating and exhausted once Harrison had absorbed all of the newly released magic simply because, for a young child, the boy had an inordinate amount of magic. He would grow up to be immensely powerful. Harrison’s eyes are closed when Regulus’ focus returns and he sees that his best friend looks startled. Regulus knows it’s very likely that they all have the same look on their faces; something that they should clear off before Harrison opens his eyes. Regulus clears his face but doesn’t return to his chair. Instead, he brushes a hand through the child’s hair and leans against Barty’s legs.

The matching looks on his cousins’ faces when he looks at the women makes him sigh because they’re surely already trying to figure out where to place Harrison. It’s only proper that a Black take him in due to his blood but Regulus knows that Sirius isn’t going to do it. Sirius can barely take care of himself. Both of his cousins already have children and Bellatrix is not so inclined. That leaves him and Severus and Regulus finds that he doesn’t mind the idea. However, he has no idea what his husband will say _especially_ because of Sirius’ involvement and Lily Evans’. She had been Severus’ first friend as children and even mentioning her was, to this day, a sure way to find yourself on the end of his sharp tongue. He rolls his eyes when no one says anything.

“Out with it, Andy. I know you have an idea for Harrison’s Family Connection. I can see it on your face _but_ if you are going to recommend me — you know as well as I do, Severus will need to be here for that conversation. This is not a decision I will make without him.”

She smiles at him.

“I would never ask you to do so. But you have landed quite spectacularly in my idea and Narcissa agrees. I think Severus and yourself would be a great fit for Harrison. Look at how easily his magic responded to you. There wasn’t so much as a heavy breeze through my office. That level of compatibility is very rare, cousin.” 

Regulus sighs, again, because the determination on Andy’s face is mirrored on Narcissa’s and he has little hope of deterring one, let alone both of his cousins. A wave of his wand summons his raven Patronus, who swoops around the room and settles on his shoulder, preening Regulus hair.

“Hello, darling.” He ignores his cousins’ cooing and speaks his message. “Go to Severus for me and ask him to meet me in Andy’s office, please? Tell him it’s important.”

They all watch the raven fly through the closed door and Sirius’ nervous shifting draws Regulus’ eyes. His brother meets his gaze and Sirius shakes his head, voice hoarse as he speaks.

“Reg, I — you’ll take good care of him. Snape, will as well. And I would love to be his uncle. But I _can’t_. I can’t be his father and I can’t be here while you do this. It’s — this is too much.” His gaze drops to his lap, “I’m sorry. Excuse me, Andy. Narcissa. Crouch. Reg.” 

Sirius stands and all but runs from the room. Regulus can only blame his own shock at the situation that he doesn’t call Sirius out for calling Severus by his father’s last name. His husband was a Lord in his own right — Lord Prince — and had gone by Severus Prince-Black for as long as they had been married. He’s just glad the two have mostly moved past the name-calling. 

They sit in silence while they wait for Severus and Regulus notices Harrison has fallen asleep again. He’s relieved that the child feels relaxed enough with everything that he’s able to do that. It only takes ten minutes before there’s a knock on Andy’s door and it opens emitting not only Severus but Lucius and Marvolo as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Sirius, Regulus. Arcturus, Lucretia. Andromeda, Bellatrix, Narcissa. Pollux, Cassiopeia, Cygnus.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will come in the new year (if I can get it written because I'm struggling with it right now)!
> 
> Happy holidays! Stay safe and warm! Let's hope 2021 is a better year for everybody!

Severus only has eyes for Regulus as they enter and he’s quick to kneel beside his husband.

“Why on earth are you sitting on the floor, beloved?”

Regulus greets him with a shake of his head and a brief kiss, nodding his head in recognition of his cousin’s husband and their Lord.

“Lucius. Marvolo.”

Lucius sits next to Narcissa while Marvolo simply leans against the wall and gazes over all of them. His deep burgundy eyes light on Harrison before flicking to Regulus with a crooked eyebrow but his voice is not hard and almost teasing when he speaks.

“Is there something you want to tell us, Regulus? The boy is obviously a Black.”

Regulus rolls his eyes at the wizard and turns to Severus, who is staring at Harrison with something akin to shock. He knows how much like a Black Harrison looks now that the blood glamor is gone; it’s like looking at himself as a child. Softer and more feminine than Sirius ever was.

“A Family Connection, my Lord.” He addresses Marvolo but his attention is all on his husband. “A child of Black blood raised in a muggle orphanage. A magical child whose magic was bound until he broke through some of it and set a building on fire.” Everyone but Barty misses Marvolo’s other eyebrow raising to match the first. Severus turns to Regulus. “A child of Black that could be ours, Sev.”

“And where did he get that Black blood, love?”

Severus takes his hand so Regulus knows he’s not immediately dismissing the idea. They have talked about children; they want children. The opportunity just had never arisen. The younger just doesn’t know if Harrison being a Black by way of Sirius would change Sev’s mind. His eyes flick from his husband to Marvolo only briefly before they lock on Severus’ deep eyes.

“He’s Sirius’ son. A son that Sirius didn’t know about because his mother kept it a secret, risking both of their lives with a glamor to hide her pregnancy.”

He hears Lucius hiss something to his wife — presumably nothing kind about the witch who’d done such a thing — but it’s the look on Severus’ face that kills him. Regulus knows how Sev feels about having children that you don’t want when you don’t need to. Knows that Severus had a terrible childhood because only one parent wanted him and the other hated them both. His husband turns to look at the boy again and Regulus sees the sadness in his face.

“You’ve already made up your mind, haven’t you, Regulus?”

Regulus shakes his head and a wave of his wand pulls up a privacy spell that encloses the two of them, Harrison and Barty.

“Not if you don’t want to, love. We will figure something out if you don’t want to take him in. I won’t make the choice without you nor will I make it for you. He’ll be our family no matter what, even if he’s not our son.”

Severus turns back to look at him.

“Do you know who his mother is?”

Regulus nods slowly and knows Barty looks panicked if the look Severus throws him out of the corner of his eye is any indication.

“Who is she?”

“Lily Potter. Née Evans.”

* * *

Severus’ eyes widen a fraction in shock. He doesn’t know what he’s more shocked about: that his brother in law slept with his best friend’s wife, that he’d gotten her pregnant, that she’d risked her pregnancy like that or that his husband wants to adopt a half-blood into the House of Black. Presumably as an Heir. Which is what he chooses to speak on.

“And you want to adopt a half-blood into your House? Our Houses? Your mother, were she not dead, would die of horror and shock; my grandfather would surely do the same.”

“Sev, love, you’re a half-blood and Lord of a Noble House. And, as you well know, he’s a First Generation Pureblood — he has two magical parents, even if one was a muggleborn. Besides, my mother and your grandfather are both dead. Were they not, Mother would have died when I married you.”

His husband smiles warmly at him but Severus can see the nervousness that remains in Regulus’ clear gray eyes.

“But — I stand by what I said. If you do not want to adopt the boy, we won’t. I won’t force you to.”

“Shut up, Husband Mine. Tell me why. Obviously, there is a reason you want the child. Tell me why.”

“I unbound his magic — I mean, I released what was left of the binding. He had already broken about 15 percent of it according to his Heritage test. I know that was dangerous.” Regulus hastens to continue when Severus tries to interrupt him and tell him exactly how foolish he’d thought that had been. “But it was fine. It was better than fine. Ask Barty. Not even a breeze whipped through the office.” Barty nods even though Severus barely looks at him. “Harrison’s magic wanted to be his as much as it wanted to be free. I hardly did anything except encourage it to be gentle with him. He’s powerful, Sev. He’s powerful and he’s Dark. I think he will fit with us just as well as if he were born of us.”

Severus considers the boy asleep on the couch, head still in Barty’s lap. He doesn’t really have the heart to deny Regulus what he wants and Severus isn’t entirely sure he wants to deny him. He nods his head, once. Far be it from Severus to let any of the other Blacks take the boy if Regulus wants him. 

“And what does your brother think of all this? A son he didn’t know existed you said. But now he does.”

Regulus shakes his head.

“Siri can barely take care of himself, you know this. The end of the war was hard on him and he just hides away now. My brother can’t take care of a child and he doesn’t want to. He was here before you got here and he all but begged us to let him leave.”

“Alright.”

“Alright?”

“Let’s do this. Blood adopt the boy as ours and raise him right.” 

“Sev—” Severus over balances as his husband lunges for him; both of them falling backward onto the floor as Regulus’ lips find his. He lets Regulus kiss him until there’s the sound of a throat clearing and they pull apart; Regulus looking smug; Severus looking red. Barty is watching them with a raised eyebrow and the expression is mirrored around the room. Only then does Regulus remember that he’d put up a privacy spell, which he cancels with a wave of his hand. Andromeda pins him with an exasperated look.

“If you are quite finished—”

“Sorry, cousin.” 

“I apologize, Andy.”

“Am I to understand that you will take the boy in then?” She waits for them to nod. “Good. Wake him up and, for Merlin’s sake, either join him on the couch or sit in a chair.” 

* * *

Marvolo surveys the room before straightening off the wall and sweeping out of the room without saying anything to anyone. He and Lucius had only joined Severus because they had been speaking in his office and, if he’s being honest, they were curious about Regulus’ patronus. Marvolo is happy for Regulus and Severus though. They would be good parents.

He cared more for the happiness and lives of his followers than he once had, though perhaps not many would believe that. He was the Minister for Magic, after all, but, for all his sanity, he was still the Dark Lord. He’s glad Severus and Regulus will be happy but he’s also content that they will raise the powerful child in a way that supports him. Marvolo doesn’t like children but he does like power and the boy, Harrison, has plenty of it.

* * *

Harrison doesn’t put up any fight or disagreement at being adopted by Severus and Regulus. He’s understandably confused by the idea of blood adoption but takes it in stride. The structure of his face doesn’t change much, though his nose goes from upturned to straight and regal and his eyes from almond to more round. The other changes aren’t as noticeable as he’s still a young child and it will only come to light as he gets older which of his fathers he more resembles. The most startling change is the color of his eyes which had been a combination of Sirius’ and Lily’s. Now they are a deep charcoal grey, not quite as dark as Severus’ but clearly darker than Regulus’ silver-grey.

Shortly after the changes settle, the newly named Heir Caelum Harrison Rigel Prince-Black* leaves with his new fathers and steps into a brand new world. A world every orphan dreams of — a world where he is wanted and loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Caelum - the chisel or sky, heaven  
> Rigel - blue star in the left foot of the constellation Orion


End file.
